Thales is announcing today the award of a $195 million contract for the supply of Sighting Systems and Ancillary Equipment to General Dynamics UK for the Production Phase of the UK MoD’s Specialist Vehicle (SV) programme.

(Credit: Thales)

Under the terms of the contract, Thales will supply 245 vehicle sets, each consisting of a Primary Sight, Local Situational Awareness (LSA) camera system and Smoke Dispenser, over a 5 year programme between 2016 and 2021, specifically for the Scout variant of the vehicle.

Thales will also supply a further 344 sets of their LSA systems for other versions of the vehicle in the same time period.

Both Thales and General Dynamics UK are committed to maximising the long-term operational availability and effectiveness of the Scout SV sighting system for the UK MoD. In harmony with the in-service support contract for the Scout SV fleet recently secured by General Dynamics UK, an initial spares provisioning package is also included within the Thales scope of supply.

“Our sighting systems for the Scout SV vehicle will provide the UK MoD with a step change in its vehicle reconnaissance and surveillance capability and will greatly enhance the prospect of mission success and survivability on the battlefield. The contract underlines our position as the UK MoD’s sighting system supplier of choice and is a tribute to the innovation and skill of our employees in Glasgow," said Victor Chavez, CEO of Thales in the UK.

All equipment will be built at Thales’ optronics facility in Glasgow, sustaining 40 highly skilled engineering and manufacturing jobs. The skill sets involved in delivering the systems and equipment to General Dynamics UK range from senior specialist engineers to young apprentices, thereby ensuring Thales’ rich heritage in engineering extends for many years into the future.

“This is welcome news for Glasgow and the rest of Scotland. This contract underlines how our engineers continue to excel in providing skills, expertise and support for the Armed Forces activities across the globe. The UK's defence industry is worth billions of pounds and generates economic benefits for communities across Scotland, through jobs, supporting services and – as today’s announcement shows - contracts through the supply chain,” said David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland.

General Dynamics UK recently won a $610 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) to provide in-service support for the SCOUT Specialist Vehicle (SV) fleet until 2024. The contract is an extension of the in-service support that General Dynamics UK was contracted to provide for the SCOUT SV fleet until 2020. It also includes the provision of spares and repairs for all 589 platforms. With this facility investment, General Dynamics UK will undertake the assembly, integration and testing of 489 SCOUT Specialist Vehicle (SV) platforms.